(a) Each ship of the United States which is equipped with a radiotelegraph station for compliance with part II of title III of the Communications Act or chapter IV of the Safety Convention must:

(1) If it is not carrying MF-DSC radio equipment, keep a continuous and efficient watch on the radiotelephone distress frequency 2182 kHz from the principal radio operating position or the room from which the vessel is normally steered while being navigated in the open sea outside a harbor or port.

(2) Keep a continuous and efficient watch on the VHF distress frequency 156.800 MHz from the room from which the vessel is normally steered while in the open sea outside a harbor or port. The watch must be maintained by a designated member of the crew who may perform other duties, relating to the operation or navigation of the vessel, provided such other duties do not interfere with the effectiveness of the watch. Use of a properly adjusted squelch or brief interruptions due to other nearby VHF transmissions are not considered to adversely affect the continuity or efficiency of the required watch on the VHF distress frequency. This watch need not be maintained by vessels subject to the Bridge-to-Bridge Act and participating in a Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) system as required or recommended by the U.S. Coast Guard, when an efficient listening watch is maintained on both the bridge-to-bridge frequency and a separate assigned VTS frequency.

(b) Each cargo ship of the United States which is equipped with a radiotelephone station for compliance with part II of title III of the Communications Act or chapter IV of the Safety Convention must while being navigated outside of a harbor or port:

(1) If it is not carrying MF-DSC radio equipment, keep a continuous watch on 2182 kHz in the room from which the vessel is normally steered while at sea, whenever such station is not being used for authorized traffic. Such watch must be maintained by at least one officer or crewmember who may perform other duties relating to the operation or navigation of the vessel, provided such other duties do not interfere with the watch.

(2) Keep a continuous watch on 156.800 MHz from the room from which the vessel is normally steered. The watch must be maintained by a crewmember who may perform other duties, relating to the operation or navigation of the vessel, provided such other duties do not interfere with the watch. Use of properly adjusted squelch of brief interruptions due to other nearby VHF transmissions are not considered to adversely affect the watch. This watch need not be maintained by vessels subject to the Bridge-to-Bridge Act and participating in a Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) system when a watch is maintained on both the bridge-to-bridge frequency and a VTS frequency.

(c) Each vessel of the United States transporting more than six passengers for hire, which is equipped with a radiotelephone station for compliance with 47 U.S.C. 381-386 but which is not carrying MF-DSC radio equipment, must, while being navigated in the open sea or any tidewater within the jurisdiction of the United States adjacent or contiguous to the open sea, keep a continuous watch on 2182 kHz while the vessel is beyond VHF communication range of the nearest VHF coast station, whenever the radiotelephone station is not being used for authorized traffic. A VHF watch must be kept on 156.800 MHz whenever such station is not being used for authorized traffic. The VHF watch must be maintained at the vessel's steering station actually in use by the qualified operator as defined by §80.157 or by a crewmember who may perform other duties relating to the operation or navigation of the vessel, provided such other duties do not interfere with the watch. The use of a properly adjusted squelch is not considered to adversely affect the watch. The VHF watch need not be maintained by vessels subject to the Bridge-to-Bridge Act and participating in a Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) system when an efficient listening watch is maintained on both the bridge-to-bridge frequency and a VTS frequency.

[51 FR 31213, Sept. 2, 1986, as amended at 68 FR 46967, Aug. 7, 2003; 69 FR 64673, Nov. 8, 2004; 73 FR 4484, Jan. 25, 2008; 76 FR 67612, Nov. 2, 2011]